Wave-motor



No. 623,556. Patented Apr. 25, I899. J. McA. PALMER.

WAVE MOTOR.

(Application filed Apr. 16, 1898.)

(No Model.)

ncrrouma, wnsnmomn u c UNTTnn STATES PATENT @TTTcn,

JOHN MOAULEY PALMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WAVE-MOTO R;

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 623,556, dated April 25,1899.

Application filed April 16, 1898- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LJOHN MOAULEY PALMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wave-Motors, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inwave-motors, and particularly to that class of the art exemplified inthe apparatus forming the subjectmatter of another application filed byme concurrently herewith, Serial No. 677,886, in which the parts anddevices are so arranged that the impulses of the waves will becommunicated directly to a power-shaft or similar device. v

The object of the present invention is to 'provide an apparatus forutilizing the powerof wave impulses which shall be'of very simpleconstruction, strong, and inexpensive to manufacture and emplace, whileat the same time recovering a maximum degree of power.

Another object is to provide an improved buffer for the float, so thatthe perfect and effective working of the apparatus will not beinterfered with by any unusual lateral movement of the float.

A further object is to construct and arrange the various parts of theapparatus in such manner that any unevenness or irregularity in themovement of the float and the parts actuated thereby will not affect thecharacter of the power transmitted; and a further object of theinvention is to employ a single driving-rod which will operate on bothits upward and downward strokes to communicate the movement ofthe floatderived from the impulses of the waves to a' power-shaft or elsewhere.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partly insection, of an apparatus embodying the invention in its preferred form.Fig. 2 is a front View of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailed plan viewof the buffer. Fig. 5 illustrates the same embodiment of the inventionshown in Fig. 1, with a chain and sprocket instead of the rope and drum.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denotecorresponding Serial No. 6'77 885. (N0 model.)

parts in all the figures, A designates a float of any desiredconstruction, which is adapted to be actuated by wave impulses-andguided in a suitable mannen This float is loosely connected by a rope orchain d or other device with a cross-piece B, carrying guide-rollers bon its ends, which operate in contact with the piles a, supporting theplatform a, or with ways'or tracks on the piles.

It is of prime importance that the operative parts of the apparatusshould maintain their regular action regardless of the movement of thefloat, which may be subjected to many irregular jars and wrenches byreason of the irregularity of the waves. It becomes essential,therefore, to have such a connection between the float and thecross-piece that the cross-piece will be impelled upward regardless ofthe angle of impact of the float therewith. This I accomplish by meansof my improved cross-piece, which is composed, preferably, of twoplates 1) b, secured together at intervals and bent at the middle toform a buffer or buffer-box 0, as indicated in Fig. 4. The sides of thebuffer are provided with upwardly-extending ears or lugs c, to which thedriving-rod hereinafter described is connected.

The float is provided with a spherical segment 0 on its upper side, andthe buffer is arranged to engage the segment whenthe float is on itsupward travel. The side edges only of the buffer engage the segment, andtherefore it will be practically impossible for the float to get intosuch a position that it will not engage and actuate the cross-piece andits connected parts properly. There are only two effective points ofcontact of the buffer with the segment, and while these contactpointsmay change in position according to variations in the inclination of thefloat at the same time the contact will be properly made and the effectupon the cross-piece remain substantially the same. A driving-rod I) ispivotally connected to the ears of the buffer, or it may be otherwisesecured to the cross-piece, and it extends upwardly through an openingdin the platform, the sides of said opening being faced with metalplates, if desired, to prevent wear.

A power-shaft L is journaled in suitable bearings in the brackets Z,mounted on the platform at one sidev of the driving-rod, and thispower-shaft carries a ratchet-wheel M, rigidly secured thereto or madeintegral therewith, and two drums N O, which are loosely mounted on theshaft. Suitable devices are provided for alternately locking the drumsto said shaft, and in the drawings I have illustrated one example, whichcomprises the pawls 7L 0, secured on the sides of the drums and arrangedto engage the ratchet-wheel M. Other locking means or devices may beemployed for this purpose; but the devices illustrated will be foundverysimple and effective.

Ropes are employed for forming the conn ection between the driving-rodand the drums to communicate power from the float to the power-shaft.Other means may be used for this purpose, as hereinafter pointed out.

A rope J is connected to the top of the driving-rod and trained aroundthe drum N and provided at its other end with a weight Another rope J isconnected to the lower end of the driving-rod and trained around drum 0and provided with a weightj. These ropes are trained around theirrespective drums in opposite directions, so that on the upward stroke ofthe float one drum will be locked to the power-shaft, while the otherdrum runs free, and on the downward stroke of the driving-rod theconditions are exactly reversed.

I have so far referred to the use of drums and ropes; but I mean toinclude and cover all equivalents for these parts, such as sprockets andchains and the like, audit will be understood that in the descriptionand claims the drums and ropes are simply referred to as one form and toavoid needless alternative expressions,butinclude allequivalentsadaptedto accomplish the same results.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated an apparatus of this description in whichsprockets and chains are employed in the place of the drums and ropesheretofore described, the arrangement and operation of parts, however,being substantially the same. It will be observed that I have shown thesproeket-wheels in this view,

Fig. 5, as of different diameters. This is done simply to illustrateboth sprockets in the one figure in side elevation, and it will beunderstood thatin practice I will make the sprockets of thesamediameter, (like the drumsin Fig. 2,) so that the movementcommunicated 'to the power-shaft will be regular and even. The ropes aretrained around the drums to secure the necessary purchase thereon; butit will only be necessary to have the links of the chains engage theteeth on the sprockets in the usual manner and as shown in Fig. 5 toobtain the desired connection between the chains and sprockets.

\Vhere I have used the expression trained around with reference to theropes and drums in the description and claims I mean to include andcover also the well-known method of engagement between the chains andsprockets, as I hold that the chain-andsprocket arrangement is in everyrespect the substantial and known equivalent for the rope-and-drumarrangement, and the claims are intended to cover both.

The operation will be readily understood. An upward impulse of a wavecarries the float with it and drives the driving-rod upward. The pawl nis engaged with the ratchet-wheel at this time, and as the rope Jrevolves the drum N the power-shaft is rotated, the drum 0 runningfreely on the shaft. \Vhen the float and rod have reached the limit oftheir upward movement, the operation is reversed and the pawl 0 isengaged with the ratchetwheel and rotates the shaft in the samedirection as the rope J revolves the drum 0, the pawl at beingdisengaged from the ratchetwheel and the drum N being revolved freely onthe shaft on the downward movement of the driving-rod by the rope J. Theweights jj maintain the ropes taut, so as to provide the requisitefrictional contact with the drums and overcome the inertia of the drums.

It will be observed that the driving rod is practically necessary tocommunicate the upward movement of the float to the power-shaft;

.and it is therefore possible to utilize an ordinary pile pier insteadof rigid masonry for mounting the apparatus, and this materially lessensthe cost of the apparatus and its em placement. The apparatus as thusconstructed permits considerable flexibility of the parts, and it doesnot depend upon rigidity of action to secure the desired results.

I am aware that in this class of apparatus many changes and alterationsin the form and proportion of parts may be made without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention, and I wouldtherefore have it understood that I reserve the right to make all suchchanges as fall within the scope of the invention.

In Figs. 5, (5, and 7 the sprocket-wheels are shown of different sizesfor clcarncss of illustration, and I do not limit myself to thisconst-ruction.

lIaving thus fnlly described my invention, what I claim, and desire toseeu re by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a sphericalsegment on its upper side, of a cross-piece provided with arectangular-shaped buffer arranged to engage the segment, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a sphericalsegment on its upper side, of a cross-piece provided with arectangular-shaped buffer constructed and arranged to engage the segmentat two points on its side edges, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a sphericalsegment on its upper side, of a cross-piece composed of two platessecured together and bent to form a buffer arranged to engage thesegment, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a sphericalsegment on its upper side, of a cross-piece composed of two platessecured together and bent at their middle to form a buffer, and ears onthe sides of the buffer, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a sphericalsegment on its upper side, of a cross-piece composed of two platessecured together and bent to form a buffer which engages the segment atits side edges, ears on the sides of the buifer, and a driving-rodpivotally connected to said ears, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a vertically-movable float having a sphericalsegment on its upper side, of. a cross-piece composed of two platesarranged on edge and secured together and bent in opposite directions toform a buffer whose side edges only engage the segment on the float,substantially as described.

7. The combination with a power-shaft, 'ofa driving-rod having a groovetherein, means for actuating the rod, a device operating in the grooveto guide the rod, and connections intermediate of the driving-rod andpowershaft to communicate the movement of the rod to the shaft,substantially as described.

8. The combination with a power-shaft, of a driving-rod having a groovetherein, means for actuating the rod, a device operating in said grooveto guide the rod, a drum loosely mounted on the power-shaft, a rope orchain connected at one end to an end of the driving-rod and trainedaround the drum, and having its other end Weighted and means for locking the drum to the shaft to communicate the upward or downward movementof the rod to the shaft, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a power-shaft, of a driving-rod having a groovetherein, means for actuating the rod, a device operating in said grooveto guide the rod, a drum loosely mounted on the power-shaft, a rope orchain connected at one end to an end of the drivingrod and trainedaround the drum and having its other end weighted'and means for lockingthe drum to the power-shaft while the rod is moving in one direction andfor releasing the drum from its locked position on the shaft while therod is moving in the reverse direction, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a power-shaft,of a driving-rod having a groovetherein, means for actuating the rod, a device operating in said grooveto guide the rod, a pair of drums loosely mounted on the power-shaft, arope or chain connected to the upper end of the driving-rod and trainedaround one drum, another rope or chain connected to the lower end of thedriving-rod and trained around the other drum, each of said ropes orchains being provided with a Weight at its free end, and means forlocking the drums to the shaft alternately to communicate the movementof the rod to the shaft, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a power-shaft,of a Vertically-movable float, across-piece connected with the float, a driving-rod pivotally secured tothe cross-piece, and ropes or chains each connected at one end to thedriving-rod and weighted at their other ends and adapted to communicatethe movements of the float to the power-shaft, substantially asdescribed. 12. The combination with a power-shaft,of a

vertically-movable float, a cross-piece connected with the float andadapted to be actuated thereby, a driving-rod pivotally secured to thecross-piece, drums on the power-shaft, and ropes or chains eachconnected at one end with the driving-rod and having its other endweighted, said ropes or chains being trained around their respectivedrums in opposite directions, substantially as described.

13. The combination with a power-shaft,of a vertically movable float, across piece connected with the float and adapted to be actuated thereby,a driving-rod connected with the float, drums loosely mounted on theshaft, devices for locking saiddrnms alternately with the power-shaft,and ropes or chains trained around said drums, each rope being connectedat one end to an end of the driving-rod and weighted at its other end,substantially as described.

14. The combination with a power-shaft,of a vertically movable float, across piece connected with the float and adapted to be actuated thereby,a driving-rod connected with the cross-piece, drums loosely mounted onthe shaft, a ratchet-wheel rigid with the powershaft, devices forlocking said drums alternately with the ratchet-wheel, and ropes orchains trained'around said drums, each rope or chain being connected atone end to an end of the driving-rod and Weighted at its other end,substantially as described.

JOHN MOAULEY PALMER. WVitnesses:

WM. 0. BELT, O. L. WOOD.

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